William mendenhall



(No Model.)

W. MENDEN'HALL. STORE SEEVIGE APPARATUS.

'No'. 424,426. Patented MA1-.25, 1890.

55,5* frn/9563.

. Ph u-Lilhugnpher. Washingtun, Dv C.

- inner end ofthe propelling-cord passes.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

IVILLIAM MENDENHALL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO 'AIHE MEN- DENHALL STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STORE-'SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,426, dated March 25, 1890.

Original application filed November 30, 1888, Serial No. 292,204. Divided and this application filed October 14, 1889. Serial No.

327,013. (No model.)

To coll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MENDENHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Vforming part of this speciiication.

My invention has for its object the improvement of the construction of such apparatus whereby greater simplicity and efficiency are attained; and its novelty will be herein set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of one form ot my improved apparatus, with the carrier and receptacle shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carrier and receptacle. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carrier and the devices for receiving and retaining the carrier at the end of the way. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the lower end of the support and the devices for receiving the carrier at the end of the way. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of two pulleys or sheaves over which the The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.

A represents a metallic tubular support having one end of the wireway B threaded through a slit in its lower end and attached to a suitable fixed point. This support A has secured to it a horizontal arm 0 which extends outwardly over the way B and carries at its outer end a guide-pulley a. Passed over this pulley is a propelling-cord D, whose outer end depends below said pulley and carries a button c, normally suspended immediately above the way B. The inner end of the cord D is passed through a guide CZ at the inner end of the arm C and around a horizontal sheave or pulley c, and then over a vertical one f, and then downward, its lower free end being provided with a grasping-handle g within convenient reach of the operator.

Supported upon the way B is a wheeled carrier E, having at each end a set of upwardly, and preferably outwardly, extending forks or projections h, adapted to engage the button c at the outer end of the cord D. Secured to or integral with the carrier E are two pendent hangers z', carrying a supportingring j. This ring is bent upwardly at two points Zo on diametrically-opposite sides of the carrier E and from said points curves or slopes downward on each side to its junction with the hangers t. It is provided at each of the points Ze' with a recess or notch Z, Fig. 3, adapted to permit the upward passage yof two lugs m on the opposite outer sides of a cash box or receptacle F, which conforms in horizontal section to the shape of the ring j and snugly fits therein. Vhen the receptacle F has been inserted within the ring j and the lugs m passed up through the recesses Z, it is turned in the ring until the lugs strike the hangers e', and in that position is securely attached to the carrier, since the lugs m cannot be easily moved up the inclines to the recesses Z by any jarring or motion of the carrier. The lid m for the cash-box is permanently secured to the under side of the carrier E, and consists of an upper dat circular platehaving on its under side a ring which enters and snugly iits the mouth of the box as the latter is lifted into the ring j, and serves to keep it closed when the box is slightly lowered by its lugs m moving down the inclines toward the hangers as the box is turned to secure it in the ring.

It results from the construction thus far described that when the carrier, which has been propelled from the opposite end of the way B, reaches the outer end of the arm 0,'

its upwardly-extendin g forks ZL will catch the button c and carry it on with the carrier to the inner end of the arm, pulling the cord D around the pulleys at the outer and inner ends of the arm C, and lifting the handle g until the parts all assume the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l. Vhen the handle g is now grasped by the operator and pulled quickly downward, the carri-er will be propelled outwardly over the way, and when the button reaches the outer end o f the arm C it will become disengaged from the forks of the carrier and resume its normal position. The forks h of each set near their upper ends may be connected by a cross-rod n, upon which the end of the propelling-cord D adjacent the button c may rest when the carrier is in the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l, and the cord be thereby supported above and free from the wheels of the carrier. A knot in the cord at o ora button secured upon it at that point serves to limit the downward movement of the handle g and cord D by striking the guide d.

The parts thus far described coustitutean operative device; but in apparatus of this character it is desirable to provide means at each end of the way for receiving the jar of the carrier as it comes in from the opposite end of the line and for retaining it in position until it is desired to propel it to the opposite end of the way. I have providednovel and efficient means for this purpose, which may be described as follows: Suitably supported at the lower end of the support A isa cylinder G, in this instance by having an exteriorly-threaded neck screwed into a corresponding interiorly-threaded neck p, projecting from a ring II surroundingthe lower end of the support A and secured to the same. Vithin the cylinder G is a piston q, having a projecting rod r, which passes through coincident holes in the support A, and preferably has an enlarged end s in line with the carrier E on the way B. The cylinder Ghas vents for the admission and escape of air bot-h before and behind the piston q, one being in this instance the open space in the neck of the cylinder, through which the rod o' loosely passes, and the other a hole t near the opposite end of the cylinder. Instead of these vents the vent may simply be around the piston, the latter being made to iit the interior of the cylinder so loosely that it will not be airtight therein, or for the same purpose the cylinder may be approximately air-tight and the piston be perforated, the object being to so arrange for the escape of the air in front of the piston, that when a sharp blow is struck on the outer end of the rod fr and the latter is driven into the cylinder, the air will at first be comn pressed and act as a cushion to receive the jar Vthis air-cushioning or buffer mechanism are a set of spring-jaws c, secured to the end of the carrier E, and adapted to engage the enlarged end of the piston-rod r as the carrier comes in from the opposite end of the way and releasably hold the carrier to the rod.

As the end of the carrier strikes the end of the rod .7, it drives the latter into the cylinder, the air before the piston receiving the shock of the blow, but quickly escaping through the Vent t or that around or through the piston, so that the momentum of the carrier is gradually and easily checked without damaging jar to the various parts of the apparatus. As the spring u restores the piston and rod to normal position, the carrier is moved with the latter to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l, and 'remains there until the operator pulls the handle of the propelling-cord and drives it to the opposite end of the line.

Vhile I have shown the spring-jaws U as secured to the carrier and engaging the end of the piston-rod, they might be transposed from the carrier to the rod and be arranged to engage a projection on the carrier in the same manner that they now engage the end of the rod.

Vhere ahorizontal way is employed, as illustrated in the drawings, there is a similar receiving and propelling apparatus at the opposite end of the way. The carrier E is therefore provided with two sets ofspringjaws and two sets of propelling-forks, one set at each end, as shown.

In another application, Serial No. 292,204, filed November 30, 1888, of which this application is a division, except as to the opening around the piston-rod whichappears for the first time in this application, I have shown, described, and speciiically claimed the cashboX and the means for attaching it to the carrier (shown in Fig. 2) of the drawings, and no claim thereto is here made.

Having thus fully described my invention I claiml. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of the way B, the support A, carrying the arm C, extending outwardly over the way B and provided with the pulley a at its outer end, the propelling-cord D, passed over the pulley c and having its free outer end depending therefrom and carrying a propellingbutton c, suspended above the way B, and having its inner end passed over a pulley at the inner end of the arm C and depending therefrom within reach of the operator, and the carrier E, supported on the way B and provided with the upwardly-extending propelling-forks h, arranged to engage the button c, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of the support A, the arm C, pulley ay at the outer end thereof, pulleys e f at the inner end thereof, guide cl, secured thereon, propelling-cord D, passed over the pulleys a e and f and through the guide d, and having the stop-button o, and provided with a grasping-handle g on .its free inner end and a propelling-button c on its free outer end, the way B and the carrier supported thereon and provided with the upwardly-eXt-ending forks IOC h, substantially as and for scribed.

3. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the way B and the carrier E supported thereon and provided with the bowed spring-j aws fu, ot' the piston-rod r, having an enlarged end s, the spring-jaws being normally sprung toward each other by their own action, but arranged to be spread apart by the passage of the enlarged head s of the rod 1' between their outer ends, and to again spring toward each other as soon as the head of the rodhas passedbetween them to releasably hold the carrier to the rod, the piston q, the cylinder G, containing the piston q and having vents for the escape of air from before and behind said piston, and the spring u for resetting the piston and rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a way B and the carrier E supported thereon and provided with the bowed spring-jaws o, of the support A, thepis-ton-rod r, passed through and guided in coincident holes in the lower end of said support and having an enlarged end s, the

the purpose despring-jaws r being normally sprung toward i each other by their own action, but arranged to be spread apart by the passage of the enlarged heads of the rod r between their outer ends, and to again spring toward each other as soon as the head of t-he rod has passed between thein to releasably hold the carrier to the rod, the piston q, the cylinder G, secured to the lower end of the support A and containing the piston q, and having vents for the escape of air from before and behind said piston, and the spring fu, for resetting thepiston and rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the way B and the carrier E supported thereon and provided with the spring-jaws o, of the tubular support A, the ring H, secured upon the lower end thereof and provided with a threaded neck p, the cylinder G, secured to the neck p of the ring H, the piston q within the cylinder G, with vents for the escape of air from before and behind it, the piston-rod r, passed,

through and guided in coincident holes in the lojwer end of the support A and ring H, and having an enlargedend s, and the spring u, for resetting the piston and rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

VILLIAM MENDENHALL.

NVitnesses:

W. C. JIRDINsroN, CHARLES BILLoN. 

